Over the past few years, there has been an influx of ramen restaurants popping up in Toronto, more specifically in downtown. One of them was Santouka Ramen , which opened its door in late 2011, and has become a pretty popular destination for a ramen fix. Santouka Ramen is a ramen chain originating from Hokkaido, Japan, with several international locations, so you do get an authentic taste of ramen here. After an event, my friend, and I decided to drop by for a quick dinner. We waited about 10 minutes to be seated, which wasn't too bad. 

Santouka Ramen specializes in tonkotsu broth, and they have a specific method to get the pearl-colored Tonkotsu soup. Although, that sounded very tempting, I opted for their Shio Ramen (salt flavor) ($10.95) - our signature ramen which is mild and creamy soup seasoned with salt. Shio Ramen is our only ramen that is topped off with a Japanese pickled plum. There was also an option to add additional toppings for a surcharge, which I chose corn for an extra $1. Overall, it was relatively well-portioned, and there was a generous amount of perfectly cooked ramen noodles. The broth itself was light, and slightly creamy, which I enjoyed. Reviews have often stated that they found the broth to be much saltier compared to other establishments. However, I have been several ramen restaurants during my 2013 Japan vacation, and it was equally salty over there. I highly recommend Santouka Ramen for their ramen, and they offer quick, and friendly service. So next time you find yourself craving some ramen, drop by Santouka Ramen for some.